Travelling and relocating with a pet

Travel within the country

Generally straightforward. You can usually use any licensed veterinarian, including emergency and specialist practices, which is a real advantage of how this market works.

Practical points: keep your policy details on your phone, know that you'll pay and claim back, and ask an unfamiliar practice for itemised invoices and records at the visit.

Travel outside the country

Most policies limit or exclude treatment abroad. Some cover it for a limited period of temporary travel; others don't cover it at all.

Check before you go, in writing. Also check whether coverage is suspended while abroad or simply doesn't reimburse foreign treatment — those are different, and the second is much better.

The paperwork side of international travel

Health certificates, vaccinations and import requirements are set by the destination country and administered here by federal and state authorities. Requirements vary by country and change.

None of that is an insurance question, and none of it is covered by pet insurance — the certificates, tests and vaccinations required for travel are routine care. Start early; some countries require a long lead time.

Moving to a different state

• Tell your insurer — premiums are rated partly on location and will likely change
• Confirm the policy continues rather than being rewritten, since a rewrite could restart exclusions
• Ask whether waiting periods restart, and get the answer in writing
• Update your address so notices reach you
• Get your pet's records transferred to a new practice, and keep a copy yourself

The question to ask before any move

Will my existing coverage and my pet's covered conditions carry across unchanged?

That's the one that matters. A policy that has to be reissued is a new policy, and a new policy means the pre-existing clock starts again — which for a pet with any history is a substantial loss.